"My expectations are not to fall, stay on pitch and not cry during my song," Lambert, 26, told PEOPLE during her rehearsals Friday at the Las Vegas MGM Grand, from where the 45th annual ACM Awards will be taped live and broadcast on CBS at 8pm ET/delayed PT. "I'd like to take one [award] home, though."

Among the awards for which she's nominated are Top Female Vocalist and Album of the Year, for Revolution. "It's been a huge year for us," she said.

Lady Antebellum Leads

To say it's been a huge year for Lady Antebellum may be an understatement. Leading the ACM nominations with seven, the trio is up for Album of the Year and Top Vocal Group. Their song "Need You Now" has become a crossover smash, having already hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Country chart and currently sitting at No. 6 on the Hot 100 Billboard chart, which measures song popularity regardless of music genre.